WWF Backlash 2000: Every Match Ranked From Worst To Best

After a lackluster WrestleMania, it was important for WWF to step up and clean up the mess from the event. The main attraction for Backlash 2000 was the WWF Championship match between The Rock and Triple H, with the odds heavily stacked against The Great One, as the entire McMahon-Helmsley Regime stood against him. However, the announcement of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's return to even the odds sent shockwaves through the fanbase and elevated anticipation to fever pitch levels.

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Beyond the championship clash, Backlash 2000 featured a stacked undercard that promised to deliver where WrestleMania had failed. The Intercontinental, European, Light Heavyweight, Hardcore, and Tag Team Championships were all on the line in compelling matches that showcased the depth of the WWF roster. While post-WrestleMania pay-per-views typically suffer from diminished stakes, Backlash defied expectations and proved to be an exceptional event. Here's every match from Backlash 2000, ranked from worst to best.

WWF Backlash 2000 Results

Match Order	Match	Stipulation	Time	Winner
1	Edge & Christian Vs. X-Pac & Road Dogg	WWF World Tag Team Championship Match	8:37	Edge & Christian
2	Dean Malenko Vs. Scotty 2 Hotty	WWF Light Heavyweight Championship Match	11:47	Dean Malenko
3	The APA Vs. The Big Boss Man & Bull Buchanan	Tag Team Match	8:37	The Big Boss Man & Bull Buchanan
4	Crash Holly Vs. Jeff Hardy Vs. Matt Hardy Vs. Hardcore Holly Vs. Perry Saturn Vs. Tazz	WWF Hardcore Championship Six Pack Challenge	12:18	Crash Holly
5	Kurt Angle Vs. Big Show	Singles Match	2:35	Big Show
6	The Dudley Boyz Vs. T&A	Tag Team Match	11:06	T&A
7	Eddie Guerrero Vs. Essa Rios	WWF European Championship Match	8:38	Eddie Guerrero
8	Chris Benoit Vs. Chris Jericho	WWF Intercontinental Championship Match	15:03	Chris Benoit (DQ)
9	Triple H Vs. The Rock	WWF Championship Match (Special Guest Referee: Shane McMahon)	19:22	The Rock

9. Kurt Angle Vs. The Big Show

The Big Show made his entrance to the "Real American" theme song, dressed as Hulk Hogan, and dubbed himself "The Showster" in one of the most memorable comedy segments of the Attitude Era. He cut a hilarious promo impersonating the Hulkster before the match began. There's not much else to discuss about the actual match, as it was simply a squash lasting 2 minutes and 35 seconds, with Big Show picking up the dominant victory.

Normally, I'd be frustrated seeing a talent like Kurt Angle squashed on PPV like this, but I didn't mind it at all. The entire segment was highly entertaining, and Angle's credibility wasn't damaged by this loss. It is notable, however, that Big Show transitioned from main eventing WrestleMania 2000 to essentially serving as a comedy act within mere weeks. But that's Big Show's entire WWE career in a nutshell, isn't it?

• Rating: N/R

8. The APA Vs. Big Boss Man & Bull Buchanan

The appeal of this match was watching four big men brawl in a hard-hitting tag team contest. However, there was nothing particularly interesting about this bout, and it went considerably longer than it should have.

The tag team of Bull Buchanan and Big Boss Man were receiving a small push around this time, so they picked up the expected victory over the APA. I did like the finish, though, as Boss Man nailed Bradshaw with his nightstick, followed by Buchanan delivering a Scissors Kick from the top rope to secure the pinfall.

• Rating: *1/4

7. The Dudley Boyz vs. T&A

The build-up for this match was quite interesting, to say the least. Since The Dudley Boyz loved putting people through tables, WWF aired promos of Trish Stratus teasing Bubba Ray Dudley with sexual innuendos involving tables. The match itself was nothing special, though, and just like the previous match, it went longer than it should have. The finish saw Trish distract Bubba Ray at ringside, which allowed Test and Albert to pick up the victory.

Post-match, Bubba wanted to put Trish through a table, which she attempted to prevent by seductively kissing him, but her tactic failed. Buh Buh finally powerbombed her off the top rope through a table, which received a massive pop from the crowd. Even though the match wasn't particularly interesting, the post-match angle was very entertaining and memorable.

• Rating: **

6. Edge & Christian Vs. D-Generation X (WWF Tag Team Championship)

I wasn't particularly interested in the pairing of Road Dogg and X-Pac as a tag team, so I wasn't looking forward to this match initially. However, this bout turned out to be pretty solid and served its purpose as a fun opener that kept the crowd engaged without dragging.

The finish saw Christian nail X-Pac in the head with the ring bell to secure the pinfall victory, as X-Pac began bleeding profusely which looked very nasty. Edge & Christian were compelling characters during this period and on the rise, so them winning made perfect sense for their momentum.

• Rating: ***

5. WWF Hardcore Championship: Six-Pack Hardcore Match

After the WrestleMania 2000 hardcore battle royal disaster, I wasn't expecting much from this Hardcore Championship match, but it actually surprised me in the best way. It was genuinely fun to watch and significantly better than the WrestleMania hardcore match. The bout featured numerous creative spots, with The Hardy Boyz being the absolute highlight of the match.

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It did drag slightly in the middle portion, but the action picked up towards the end, even though the finish was extremely predictable, as they'd been doing the same finish for Hardcore title matches for quite some time. Fun stuff, nonetheless.

• Rating: ***1/4

4. Eddie Guerrero Vs. Essa Rios (WWF European Championship)

Chyna, who was in the corner of Eddie Guerrero, wore a red dress, while Essa Rios and Lita both sported red hair and red attires. Everyone had their red dress on tonight; Lana Del Rey would approve. Anyway, I really enjoyed Essa Rios whenever he wrestled on the weekly shows, but his matches rarely received enough time. This match, however, went 8 minutes and 38 seconds, and both wrestlers delivered a really strong performance, especially Rios showcasing his high-flying arsenal.

It was a highly enjoyable contest with plenty of cool action throughout. Chyna constantly interfered in the match on Eddie's behalf, but Lita didn't, which didn't make a lot of sense. I liked the finish, as Eddie hit Essa with a spinning neckbreaker drop to retain the European Championship. Post-match, Lita stripped Chyna off her red dress and ran away with it out of spite, I guess? It was a hilarious moment, and Eddie clearly appreciated Chyna without her dress, which made Chyna smile despite the embarrassment.

• Rating: ***1/2

3. Chris Benoit Vs. Chris Jericho (WWF Intercontinental Championship)

This was the first time Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit faced each other in a singles match on WWF PPV. These two had amazing chemistry and would go on to deliver numerous great matches in the future. This was a highly enjoyable technical wrestling showcase, clearly demonstrating their incredible in-ring chemistry and submission expertise.

The finish saw Jericho counter Benoit's diving headbutt attempt by holding up the Intercontinental Championship belt, which smashed into Benoit's face, causing a disqualification. A DQ finish on a PPV is rarely satisfying, especially after such a hard-fought match, but it made sense here as WWF wanted to continue the feud between these two. Plus, the finish was somewhat creative, which I appreciate.

• Rating: ****

2. Dean Malenko vs. Scotty 2 Hotty (WWF Light Heavyweight Championship)

These two wrestlers had competed for the Light Heavyweight Championship quite a few times leading up to Backlash, with the title changing hands multiple times on weekly television. This was the first time they received proper time, though, and they impressed the hell out of me. On paper, this match doesn't sound particularly exciting, but it actually turned out to be one of the best matches of the night.

The match featured excellent psychology, as Dean Malenko methodically worked over Scotty's leg throughout, which Scotty sold pretty nicely. Scotty's comeback sequences were engaging and kept the crowd invested in his underdog performance. The finish saw Malenko brilliantly reverse Scotty's Superplex attempt into a top-rope DDT, which was incredible to watch and secured him the victory.

• Rating: ****

1. Triple H vs. The Rock (WWF Championship Match With Shane McMahon As Special Guest Referee)

Onto the best match of the night, the main event WWF Championship clash between Triple H and The Rock. The odds were heavily stacked against The Rock, as Shane McMahon served as the special guest referee, and Vince McMahon stood in Triple H's corner. The story here revolved around the McMahon-Helmsley Regime attempting to screw The Rock out of the title. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin was announced to be in Rock's corner to even the odds, but throughout the night, we were informed that Austin was nowhere to be found.

As far as the in-ring action is concerned, this wasn't a technical wrestling masterpiece, but rather a compelling story of the babyface hero trying to overcome whatever obstacles the villains threw at him, and they executed that story brilliantly. The match was highly entertaining from bell to bell. Towards the end, Steve Austin finally arrived to a thunderous ovation and demolished Triple H with a chair shot. With the referees down, Linda McMahon brought out referee Earl Hebner, who had previously been screwed by the McMahons himself.

Finally, Rock hit the Spinebuster and People's Elbow on The Game, and Hebner counted to three, crowning The Great One as the new WWF Champion. Post-match, Austin and Rock shared a toast celebrating Rock's championship victory together. The finish with Austin and Hebner was predictable, but sometimes predictability is actually the best choice when it delivers what fans desperately want, and I'm glad WWF went that route here.

Yes, the match was somewhat overbooked with multiple interferences, but they all made sense within the story and didn't feel out of place. The crowd loved every moment of the match, and we witnessed one of the most satisfying happy endings in WWF history, which was desperately needed after the disappointing WrestleMania 2000 finish.

• Rating: ****1/4

And that’s all for today’s post, thank you all for reading. Stay tuned for the next post of this series where we will rank the matches of Insurrextion 2000. Have a nice day!  Enjoyed the breakdown? Join our wrestling Discord server to connect with fans, share predictions, and talk your favorite matches anytime.